"Kitsap County Peninsula is the “Resort Destination” at your doorstep. Offering amazing values in the Luxury marketplace this county provides more value for less."

Kitsap has a population of 251,000. Whether you are visiting art galleries on the island of Bainbridge; Bremerton’s historic Navy Docks and waterfront; Hansville’s waterside communities of Pont No Point and Driftwood keys; The city of Kingston, beautiful and accessible just 30 minutes from Edmonds, Poulsbo the proud Scandinavian town also known as “Little Norway on the Fjord”; Port Orchard the county seat and first incorporated city of Kitsap, Home to Differential Energy Global the fast growing high tech light company, Silverdale the growing geographic, commercial center, and home to Silver City Brewery; Or the stunning panoramic mountain and sunset views of Seabeck, Lofall, and Hood Canal Drive.

The 254 nautical miles of affordable waterfront property that defines Kitsap County is never far away.

Location:

All of these places I just mentioned, are located between 30 minutes and no more than 1 hour 45 minutes from down town Seattle. The peninsula is accessible by the largest ferry system in the United States (carrying 22 million passengers in 2014 alone), by car (just 1h 20 minutes to the center of Kitsap), even quicker by personal boat (only taking 20 minutes to arrive in Bremerton vs the 1 hr it takes with the Bremerton ferry), or if you would prefer to take the high road…. the peninsula is serviced by Kenmore Air.

Additional Details:

We also have 28 marinas hidden throughout our many coves. 7 world class golf courses to play rounds on…. and are just over an hour away from the hundreds of miles of trails, camping, and vistas offered by the World Renowned Olympic National Park. The mountains are an unforgettable sight no matter where you are on the peninsula…. But especially when you are kayaking, crabbing, fishing, or shrimping right across from their foothills or if you prefer, enjoying the view with a glass of wine on your private beach.

Buyer Types:

Kitsap attracts many types of people. We see retirees looking to move out of the city, a large population of medical service professionals attending the new state of the art Harrison Hospital in Silverdale (which is set to build yet another building). We see families who are looking for a peaceful, private, environment with highly rated schools to raise their kids. Young professionals & Entrepreneurs who enjoy the freedom of working from home with high speed internet. And of course Second Home Buyers looking for retreats on the water or stunning acreage at a great value.

Price Point:

We have two markets in Kitsap. Because of its proximity to Seattle (just 30 minutes away) the Bainbridge market enjoys a relatively higher price point than the rest of Kitsap County. The Luxury market qualifies at $1.1million on the island. Where the rest of Kitsap County qualifies at about $725,000. This means that at $725,000 homes offer a similar physical value to those with much higher prices elsewhere.

Market Stats:

Last year about 32% of our Luxury sales were second home sales. There were a total of 200 luxury sales in our market (44% of those being waterfront sales).

Now I would like to give you a quick comparison. The average price/sqft of +1mil Waterfront home sales in 2014.

– King County: 683 $/sf

– Bainbridge Island: 454 $/sf

– Kitsap (exclude BI): 322 $/sf

As you can see, you can find amazing value for your clients in Kitsap County.

On a personal note: The Kitsap County Peninsula holds a special place in my heart. I have spent over 3 years traveling outside of the United States to over 25 countries. I have lived as a dive instructor in Thailand, worked for over 5 and a half months in Australia, Hiked 100 miles through the Overland Trek in Tasmania, and Canoed the National Parks in Quebec… yet I always find myself arriving in wonder on the beautiful Kitsap Peninsula nestled between the Cascades, Seattle, and the Olympic Mountains… it is one of the most spectacular places in the world.

We encourage you to look just a little bit further, Kitsap has a lot to offer and we guarantee you will find value, beauty and an amazing lifestyle if you just open the door…

Or in this case hop on a ferry!

If you have questions feel free to reach out to Irene Wurden or Myself. We are the second and third generation Brokers in our family and have been working in Kitsap County since 1972. We are happy to share our world with you.

May 27, 2015, Broadmoor Golf & Country Club, Seattle WA

More than 100 agents came together on May 27 for the monthly Windermere Premier breakfast to network and learn about the growing vacation/second home market. This month's panel consisted of agents from popular second home markets in Cabo, Lake Chelan, Maui, Orcas Island, Kitsap Peninsula, and San Juan Island.

The overall message was that the second home market is still in recovery mode. Those areas located in the Pacific Northwest say that their proximity to Seattle and its growing economy’s starting to have a positive impact in their markets. For example, the Kitsap Peninsula is seeing an uptick in second home owners wanting a reprieve from the city. The same is true on San Juan Is and where 80% of the homes are vacation properties. San Juan has an abundance or waterfront homes for sale, many of which are well under a million dollars. On Orcas, 60% of their market is priced at $900,000 and above, and prices are expected to see double digit appreciation next year.

Maui is a different story; they actually have a shortage of inventory which is driving up prices. They're seeing a lot of international and cash buyers, even for homes priced in the multi-mil ions. Los Cabos’s still recovering from last year's hurricane which brought the real estate market to a standstill. Thiers a buyer's market and 20% of their inventory is luxury listings priced at $l million and above.

Special thank you to the six agents who took the time to share their insights on the second home market in their local areas.

We are looking for volunteers:to help take money, help do some last minute pricing and wrap up peoples goods. Most things have been priced but some last minute reasonable pricing will have to be done. We greatly appreciate any help to run this sale.

Food and drinks will be available for all volunteers!

If you’re interested in giving some time please call Kim at 360-509-5378. Thanks!

Every year Windermere closes its offices for one day to help make a positive difference in our local communities. It all started in 1984 when a handful of Windermere owners and agents came together to make repairs at a local elementary school. Thirty years and more than one million hours of community service later, we've continued this tradition through neighborhood-enhancing projects in the areas where our Windermere teams live, work, and play. Follow our projects online at www.facebook.com/TheWurdenTeam

The Poulsbo Office will be working at the Poulsbo Fish park on NW Lindvig Way starting at 9am this Friday. We will be helping to place over 1000ft of rough roof decking on the trails and bridges to help complete the park.

Stop by and say Hello or lend a hand! We look forward to seeing you there!

If you live in Kitsap, or the surrounding Counties, you have seen one of the “Baseball Cards” below.

It is the familiar face of the Sheriff Steve Boyer. The text on the back of the card reads: “Sheriff Steve Boyer is a 43-year law enforcement veteran. He is proud to serve the community alongside the outstanding men and women of the Sheriff’s Office. Peace and safety for all citizens is their Goal.” This describes what Sherriff Boyer had done but not who he is!

On Sunday the 11th of Janury 2015, Sheriff Boyer officially retired from his 43 years of experience in law enforcement. Irene and I were honored to be in the large group of people gathered at the Admiral Theater for this special occasion. Steve served 4 terms as Kitsap County’s Sherriff. Over his 15 years as the sheriff he has significantly lowered the crime rate, improved the training for our deputies, and helped provide a larger budget for our local offices. And he has done it all the while with a smiling face!

One attendant told a story that we think describes Steve well. Saying: I asked a democrat about Steve and he said “Steve Boyer is an amazing democrat and man!” Next I talked to a republican who told me, “Steve Boyer is a democrat but he is an amazing man!” Steve always had a way of diving to our hearts to get at the core of the issues. He is a people person at heart.

Throughout his long and bright Law Enforcement career Steve Boyer has never made it about himself. At the end of his heartfelt speech Steve insisted that we do not stand and clap for him or his service, but for the Community, the Kids, and the Safety of Everyone.

We are very thankful to your wife Judi Boyer and your wonderful supportive family for their sacrifice and dedication to the community. You will always be remembered as a great husband, a great father, a great public servant and a great friend.

The 2015 and last edition of Steve’s card leaves us with the following message:

“May your soul give courage

Your Mind Wisdom

Your heart compassion”

We commend you Steve Boyer for your Courage, your Character, and your Commitment.

The Kitsap Peninsula is one of the most underrated areas in the United States for High quality Luxury Homes. Below we have featured 11790 Anderson Landing NW, Silverdale Washington 98383 located a beautiful 1 hour ferry ride and twenty minutes drive from downtown Seattle. Here at The Wurden Team we are proud of the amazing Lifestyle offered here in the Kitsap Peninsula. Just take a look for yourself!

One of Western Washington and the Olympic Peninsula’s finest properties that truly “has it all”. With Western exposure & ~300 feet of sandy beach waterfront; experience breathtaking views of the Olympic Mountain Range framed by romantic sunsets and plentiful blue waters of the Hood Canal. Escape to the peacefulness of this seaside estate tucked away in a quiet & private neighborhood known as Anderson Landing.

The Ultimate architectural design for the Northwest lifestyle. This outstanding modern home offers 5962 square feet, 3 bedrooms & 2.5 baths on one level with a bonus room above. This one of a kind custom built Estate is beautifully situated in spacious surroundings on 5.46 acres of land. A definite must see for the most particular clients requiring serenity & privacy.

A rare gem, this property embodies the Northwest Lifestyle. Partake in the water’s plentiful salmon, crab, oysters, shrimp and clams on your private no-bank beach & tidelands that extend out 1,127ft. Located just minutes from the new Olympic View Marina in Seabeck and just a short ways away from multiple World Class Golf Courses.

Christmas the Time of Community & Giving!

Every December at Windermere Poulsbo, Silverdale, and Kingston we sponsor an office wide Christmas Angels Event. You may be wondering, “What is a Christmas Angels Event?

Windermere Poulsbo Enjoying the Spirit of Giving

“The Christmas Angel program helps ensure that a child can open a gift on Christmas morning. The One-Call-For-All, CFC and United Way campaigns raise local funds to help support health and human service agencies that provide case management programs to help children succeed, support vulnerable and aging populations, promote health and wellness and help build communities that care.” – United Way of Kitsap County Director – David Foote

Every family in the program chooses 3 wants and 3 needs for their profile. Each Broker at our sponsored event chooses a child (or two) to shop for. This year we had a grant total of 34 families!

Chris Wurden next to his a Pile of Presents

We are privileged to take part in this fantastic event and all of our warm wishes go out to 5 month old Elyzabith and her amazing family!

Irene Wurden waving hello to all the special families out there.

We hope you have an amazing Holiday Season and look forward to you becoming a part of our local Kitsap Peninsula Community.